The Jewish holiday of Sukkot celebrates both the agricultural harvest and Jews’ relationship to God. To celebrate, many people build small, temporary shelters in their yards and share meals together. This year, Sukkot begins the evening of September 23.
Last year, TRUST WIN (a URI Cooperation Circle in Israel) held their International Day of Peace celebration on this holiday, and invited 30 women of many faiths to celebrate in the shelter together. The participants were Muslim, Druze, Christian, and Jewish women who had lost sons and husbands to religiously-motivated violence. Most had never celebrated the holiday before and were thrilled by the new experience.
The women shared food and stories, learning about each other’s cultures and speaking about their shared hopes for peace. Afterward, they walked arm-in-arm through the streets. Bystanders “broke out into applause as they watched us…demonstrating the power of our interfaith sisterhood to break down all the stereotypes and to create peaceful coexistence,” reported Cooperation Circle director Elana Rozenman. “The women themselves felt transformed by the effect of our demonstration of sisterly solidarity and our warm public reception. We ended with more blessings and a group hug.”
This year, the same Cooperation Circle is planning a similar Sukkot celebration. Learn more about how TRUST WIN is working for peace in the Middle East.
